Commercial drone operations in Worcester County require FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Worcester Regional Airport (KORH) controlled airspace requires LAANC. Film/photo operations on city property need a Worcester Cable Services permit.
Commercial drone operations across Worcester County require an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (14 CFR Part 107) — there is no state or county commercial drone law because Worcester County government was abolished in 1998. Pilots must pass the Part 107 aeronautical knowledge test at a PSI testing center (~$175), be 16+, and maintain the certificate through recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Commercial uses include real estate marketing, infrastructure inspection, construction progress photography, insurance claims, agricultural monitoring, and aerial cinematography. Operations in Worcester Regional Airport (KORH) Class D airspace require LAANC authorization. Fitchburg Municipal Airport (KFIT), Orange Municipal (KORE), and Hopedale Municipal (0B6) airspace also require coordination. Night operations, flights over people, flights over moving vehicles, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations require specific Part 107 waivers (14 CFR 107.200). Worcester city property filming requires a permit from Worcester Cable Services / the Mayor's Office. Commercial filming in Worcester State Forest, Purgatory Chasm, or other state parks requires DCR permits. The FAA Remote ID rule (14 CFR Part 89) requires Remote ID compliance.
Commercial operation without Part 107: FAA civil penalties up to $32,666 per violation plus certificate denial. Unauthorized KORH airspace entry: federal criminal penalties under 49 USC §46307. Worcester city property filming without permit: $100-$1,000 plus seizure. State park filming without DCR permit: $500+.
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